Quairading Roads Board Office (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

05155 Quairading Mainstreet Precinct

Values

The place is rare as an Interwar Art Deco Shire hall in Western Australia.

The place plays an important role in the streetscape and townscape of Quairading.

The place is valued by the community as a place of social gatherings, community events and cultural activities.

Physical Description

‘Prior to the Roads Board office being constructed on this site, in 1915 an office was situated on Lot 16 Heal Street. When the new offices were constructed at this site, the previous building was incorporated into the new building. The original Roads Board office on this site was a brick structure with a hipped corrugated iron roof, which is partly concealed behind the parapet walls. The façade of that building is part of the 1934 refurbishment and introduces the art deco geometric design treatment of the face brickwork as a feature against the cream rendered walls. The brickwork also shows the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. The façade is symmetrically proportioned with a centrepiece window design and double entry doors both sides with a stepped parapet above the entire centre. The hall has eternal stock bond pier structural elements and a gabled roof of corrugated iron. The 1979 extension was extensive. A new kitchen, bar area and function rooms were added to the south side and an expansive entry foyer opening to the east was also added. The 1979 section has a relatively flat roof concealed behind a colour-bond facia. A succession of developments on the site each compliment the previous architecture and design and respect the previous fabric.‘

History

‘Throughout its years it has been the focus of social and cultural activities in the Quairading area. The Hall has been the venue for community and celebratory activities, which include numerous balls. Dancing was enjoyed at most of the social gatherings. Wedding receptions, dinners, school concerts, cabarets, ballet, live performances, theatre, YAL concerts and Repertory Shows also featured at the hall. Community groups have used the hall for meetings and functions. During World War Two, fundraising and welcome home dances were the main events. Pictures were always a family night out, and remained popular at the hall until the late 1960s when the drive in theatre opened in Quairading. During the 1979 refurbishment of the hall a cache of cash was discovered in a drainpipe. It is reputed to have been Paddy Baker’s, the picture showman (later owner of the Regal Theatre in Perth). The extensions to the hall in 1979 offered more opportunities for the place. The Senior citizens have established facilities in the former Roads Board Offices, and the hall, reception area and lounge are used for many social, civic, and community functions.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- High Authenticity- Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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